FULLERTON, Calif. – No. 2-ranked Eastern Oregon University Volleyball continued its hot start to the season on Day One of the Summer Slam, hosted by Hope International University. The Mountaineers swept both of their matches, defeating Life Pacific 25-16, 25-11, 25-12 before taking down La Sierra University 25-13, 25-22, 25-21 to improve to 6-0 on the season.
Game One - Life Pacific
The Mountaineers wasted no time finding their rhythm after returning from a 4-0 weekend in Tennessee. EOU opened the first set with a 5-2 lead behind kills from
Akylah Kaino and
Mylie Mills and service aces from
Kate Stidham and
Brooke Womack. After the teams traded points, Eastern broke away with a 6-1 run fueled by powerful kills from Womack, Kaino, and
Keira Vaughn, forcing a Life Pacific timeout with the Mounties ahead 16-9.
Eastern continued to control the set as Womack added another ace and Kaino followed with a kill. The Warriors trimmed the deficit to 19-14, but EOU closed strong, taking six of the final eight points.
Ava Semprimoznik delivered three consecutive service aces late in the set, and a Life Pacific service error gave the Mounties a 25-16 win.
EOU carried that momentum into the second set, racing to a 6-2 advantage as five Life Pacific errors helped fuel the early lead. A 10-1 run pushed Eastern ahead 13-4, with
Jule Whitley and Vaughn making an impact on both sides of the net. The Warriors attempted to close the gap, aided by a few EOU attack errors, but the Mounties maintained control. Kills from Vaughn and a block by Whitley closed out the set 25-11.
Eastern opened the final set with another strong start, highlighted by a right-side block from Mills and Stidham and back-to-back aces from Stidham that gave EOU a 7-2 lead. The Mounties extended the advantage to 13-4 during a five-point run, with
Stella Koch and Whitley taking over at the net. Koch recorded two kills and a block, while Whitley added two blocks.
Womack then took over offensively, recording three of EOU's next four points to stretch the lead to 17-6. Life Pacific managed five more points, but the deficit proved too large to overcome. Womack finished the match with the final kill, securing a 25-12 third-set victory and the sweep.
Game 2 - La Sierra
The second match featured a tighter opening stretch, with Eastern and La Sierra trading points early. The Mountaineers eventually created separation with a 6-1 run led by Womack and several Eagle errors. Another five-point run pushed EOU's advantage to 19-9 and forced a La Sierra timeout. The Eagles managed to add a few points late, but Eastern answered each challenge and took six of the final eight points. A La Sierra service error ended the set as the Mounties claimed it 25-13.
Set two was much more competitive. EOU jumped out to an 8-2 lead behind kills from Womack, Whitley,
Brooklyn Willard, Mills, and Vaughn. La Sierra gradually worked its way back into the set, capitalizing on several Eastern errors to cut the deficit to 16-15. The Mounties responded by building a four-point cushion with kills from Mills and Womack and additional Eagle errors. La Sierra answered with a 5-1 run to pull within one at 22-21, but Eastern closed out the set with a Willard kill and a La Sierra attack error to secure the 25-22 victory.
The third set was another closely contested battle, with the teams trading the lead through the opening nine points. Eastern then created some breathing room with a 6-1 run to take a five-point advantage. La Sierra immediately answered with a 5-0 run to tie the set at 15-15. EOU responded with a decisive 6-0 run of its own, sparked by blocks and kills from Vaughn, Whitley, and Willard, to move ahead 21-15. The teams exchanged points down the stretch, but Eastern maintained its advantage and closed out the set 25-21 to complete the sweep.
Up Next
The Mountaineers return for Day Two of the Summer Slam on Saturday, facing host Hope International at 11 a.m. before taking on No. 1 Northwestern College (Iowa) at 3 p.m.
